Space + Art

June 2, 2023

While I learned the content from this week, it made me think a lot about my favorite activity in Los Angeles: the planetarium shows at the Griffith Observatory! At the Samuel Oschin Planetarium there are shows playing constantly that take viewers through space using projections. To me, it's the perfect demonstration of Week 9's content about art and space. Just as the artists in the Leonardo Space Art Project and the MARS Patent are combining space and design art, the planetarium shows are doing the same (Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers; Mars Patent).

[Image 1] Photo inside the Samuel Oschin Planetarium at Griffith Observatory.

One of the shows that is always playing at Griffith is called "Centered in the Universe." The show plays much of what was presented during the first few lectures this week, how the early views of Copernicus shaped our understanding of space and how Galileo's views challenged what we as humans knew about what exists beyond our planet  (Vesna, 1:19-2:25). 

A show that is new at the observatory that I recently went to see is called "Signs of Life." The show is a film that emphasizes much of what Professor Vesna taught in Part 6, that the science fiction craze of the 1950s created a lot of wonder, excitement, and fear about outer space and life on other planets (Vesna, 5:26). 

[Image 2] Poster for the "Signs of Life" show.

The "Signs of Life" show is particularly relevant to the content because when I saw the film I was able to see how artists created images of what science suggests and their imaginations brought to life. We have no idea what life on other planets actually looks like, but the planetarium shows how artists use what we do know to create visuals we can understand. The shows combine music, cinematography, and digital illustrations to transport viewers to worlds they've never seen before (Samuel Oschin Planetarium - Griffith Observatory)!

[Image 3] Image taken from the "Signs of Life" planetarium show.

I recommend that for future teachings of this course, Professor Vesna should allow students to go view the planetarium shows for Event Credit! It is the ultimate combination of design and media arts and space! Students should be encouraged to see the real applications of the content we are learning. 

References

Leonardo Space Art Project Visioneers, spaceart.org/leonardo/vision.html. 

“Mars Patent.” MARS PATENT: Home, www.mars-patent.org/. 

“Samuel Oschin Planetarium - Griffith Observatory .” Griffith Observatory, 21 Dec. 2022, griffithobservatory.org/exhibits/samuel-oschin-planetarium/.

Vesna, Victoria. “8 Space Pt1 1280x720.” YouTube, 29 July 2013, youtu.be/6ZIqTR332l8.

Vesna, Victoria. “Space pt 6.” YouTube, 29 July 2013, https://youtu.be/VYmOtFjIj0M.

Image Citations

[Image 1] “What’s Your Sign? An Astrological Los Angeles Experience: Aquarius.” Discover Los Angeles, 16 Mar. 2020, www.discoverlosangeles.com/things-to-do/whats-your-sign-an-astrological-los-angeles-experience-aquarius.

[Image 2] “Signs of Life.” Griffith Observatory, 18 Jan. 2023, griffithobservatory.org/planetarium/signs-of-life/.

[Image 3] “Southern California’s Gateway to the Cosmos!” Griffith Observatory, 19 May 2022, griffithobservatory.org/.